On Feb. 27, over 100 students departed into Downtown St. Paul after a long day of classes to watch the Minnesota Wild host the Detroit Red Wings at the Xcel Energy Center. The event was put together by the Hamline University Programming Board (HUPB). The event offered tickets to the game for five dollars the week prior in the Anderson Center. The event took place last year as well in January and its success warranted a repeat.
The buses were en route to the Xcel shortly after 6:00 p.m. and arrived following a short trip East on I-94. Students had around an hour prior to the puck drop to explore the stadium, visit the concessions and any other pregame festivities before the contest was underway.
The first period was the highlight of the night for fans and the Wild with two goals to give the team an early lead.
Center Marco Rossi scored the first goal of the night 7:17 into the period. Detroit had a number of chances in the first but Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson stood tall and shut out the Red Wings in the first.
Just a few minutes after the opening goal, a pinball goal off the skate of Wild forward Jakub Laukov, padding Minnesota’s lead to 2–0. This unfortunately would be it for the Wild on the offensive side. Detroit was able to tie the game up with two goals in the second period. Winger Vladimir Tarasenko cut the Wild lead 10:12 into the period and was followed by another goal from Center Simon Edvinsson 13:11 into the period to tie the game up and deliver a gut punch to the Wild fans.
Edvinsson scored again 11:35 into the third to give Detroit a 3–2 lead which would be enough for the Red Wings to defeat the Wild on the road. Nonetheless, the game gave many members of the Hamline community an opportunity they otherwise would not have had.